Disabled people thrown out of work by Remploy

Historically welfare to work policies have concentrated on job placement, however, recent UK government policy, as seen in the recent round of bidding for the Work Programme, has seen a shifting of focus towards sustainable job outcomes where sustainability may only be recognised two years after being placed in work.

In order to be seen as a leading player in this new policy, Remploy have commissioned Inclusion to produce an independent research report into career advancement to be published on Monday 7th March. They will be hosting a series of roundtable discussions later in March, to share the findings of this research more widely and discuss how career advancement can aid sustainability in today’s welfare to work arena.

I am sure news that Remploy are working hard to stay ahead in the field will bring much comfort to the 1,500 employees, most of whom are disabled workers who were earlier this month given notice of pending redundancy. Remploy is a government-funded body that has its own businesses providing jobs for 3,000 disabled people, including 227 in Greater Manchester, as well as an employment agency that find them posts with private employers.

Bosses at the firm say the business has suffered because of the difficult economic climate, with many factories operating at less than 50 per cent capacity. If this be the case, it begs the question of why are they spending money they clearly don’t have to commission research – particularly as Remploy is not fulfilling its mission to provide sustainable employment opportunities for disabled people.

A spokesperson was reported as saying:

“This scheme is voluntary and every employee will be able to choose if they want to apply for the severance package.

Oh, that’s OK then – in that case everyone can stay. Or maybe not.

“We will ensure that any employee who decides to leave and wants to continue working, will have guaranteed support from our employment services to find another job.”

Well that will make all those newly unemployed people a whole lot better won’t it. And does anyone else see a possible irony here? They make people redundant and then they find disabled people work – probably through one of their government-funded schemes. So, in effect, they are creating their own customers. How callous is that?

Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman, who chaired a cross-party back bench inquiry into planned closures at Remploy in 2009, said: “The overwhelming priority is that there should be work opportunities for people with disabilities, and the Government, in taking its decision, must not salami slice and undermine Remploy because it is so important.”

Unite. the union in defending the workers being made redundant, blamed "poor management" for the announcement and leader, Len McCluskey said: "What these employees face is a nightmare scenario of struggling to find new jobs in the toughest jobs market since the early 1990s, when we all know that disabled people are always at the back of the jobs queue.

“Ultimately, there is the prospect that some of these factories could close.
“We will be campaigning against this voluntary redundancy programme during the 90-day consultation period.”

A Department of Work and Pensions spokesman said: "Remploy has had £555m government funding but unfortunately the factory arm of their business has not been able to successfully compete.”

Meanwhile, GMB members who now face redundancy have been given authority by the union central executive council for industrial action ballot over redundancies. The Committee have been advised that GMB members in Remploy have already voted in a consultative ballot by a majority of 5 to 1 to take strike action.
Let me be quite clear - The Big Society, if its exists, must mean finding work for disabled workers and a strike to stop the deliberate run down of Remploy shows disabled workers are fed up of being lectured on the big society by those in high society
Unfortunately, it is expected that preparing for the ballot will take at least six weeks and will be conducted by the Electoral Reform Services (ERS). This may be too late for many of the affected staff at the firm. Remploy last month told GMB that proposals for voluntary redundancy were being rolled out across the company from Monday 31st January 2011. This was just 7 days after the legal consultation period of 90 days commenced on the 24th January 2011.
What is known about previous redundancies made by Remploy in 2008 is that the vast majority of workers (85%) are still unemployed and on benefits with no prospects of finding work. The GMB CEC were also told that Remploy management has made little, or no progress, in finding work for the remaining Remploy factories in spite of the fact that EU rules allow public bodies to place orders with sheltered workshop outside of normal procurement arrangements.

The unions affected have placed an alternate plan before government to save jobs at the factories. Part of the plan is to reverse the rise in the number of managers which has increased despite reductions in the number of factories and shop floor workers. In total the Remploy unions have put forward a plan to cut £30million from costs while making Remploy viable.

Meanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith personally asked Remploy to show restraint in the distribution of a bonus windfall to its top-tier management. However, directors went ahead with 288 bonuses and then embarked on their redundancy programme.
The payouts, which are subsidised by the taxpayer, saw directors handed bonuses of up to £15,000 each and include benefits that amount to more than the annual salaries earned by some of the workers. Certainly more than the average worker now facing a future of joblessness.
There is nothing new in these outrageous bonuses - the company paid its management team £1.5m in bonuses and benefits last year. Its accounts show that chief executive Tim Matthews, 59, who once listed drinking champagne among his interests in Who's Who, took home a record total package of £180,000. He also claimed thousands of pounds more in expenses for hotel stays and meals.
Remploy finance director Nigel Hopkins received a £140,000 package, including a £15,000 bonus. Further figures show that in the past three years consultants working with Remploy on the redundancy and other 'modernisation programmes' have been paid more than £6m.

A further example of the “them” and “us” culture under the Tories, but here we have a firm, supposedly dedicated to supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society, ruthlessly taking away their livelihoods whilst feeding the riches bosses of another welfare to work company.

And it’s all being done with our money!!!